The Great Partch Debate

My mama should have learned me better than to step into the middle of a
brawl, but --

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've been slogging through a
three-week backlog of mail. I was tempted to enter the Partch fray early
on with words of wisdom (I'll bet every party involved believes theirs are
words of wisdom) but I thought that the battle would have been long
over by now. It seems to be as acrimonious as ever, so here goes:

1) How about agreeing that restrictions on transcriptions might be eased
up once there was a readily available body of "authentic" versions
available on CD? It seems to me that the main objection is that
transcribed works are standing in for the real thing. With the increasing
availability of Partch on record and in print [Revelation, Li Po, 4-CD set,
projected CRI release, publication of Bitter Music] it seems there's a
market. Hopefully, there will be new recordings as well as re-released
early recordings. Once a listener can refer to these there's less worry
about a transcription completely misrepresenting Harry's work. [That still
won't solve the corporeality problem, I know.]

2) In regard to the hording of the instruments I have the following story to
relate:
In 1977, when I lived in southern California, I found out that Partch's
instruments were being kept at San Diego State. I drove down and
spoke with Danlee Mitchell and told him I was interested in Harry's music
and theories. He didn't know me from Adam but he gave me access any
time I wanted to the instruments. They were kept in two big
climate-controlled rooms. Well, I guess they were big rooms, but they
were still plenty crowded. He let me in, then left me alone with them. I
still can't believe that kind of trust and generosity. There was a big pile of
scores in there, too. I was a dumb kid, though, and made poor use of it.
It meant four hours on the road each time I visited, which meant I didn't
get there very often, and there was more than a bit of a learning curve,
so I didn't feel like I accomplished much while I was there. I came 5 times
over a period of 3 months or so, then moved back east without a word.
So, Danlee, if you see this, thanks for the opportunity -- and sorry I blew
it. It was wonderful, though, to be allowed so near to something that
otherwise could only have been legendary to me.

3) About synthesizer substitutions. Leaving aside corporeality and
theatrical presentation, it sounds like it should work. What makes me
wary is a recording I have of Yankee Doodle Fantasy done on synth.
I've never heard any other version so I can't say where the fault lies -- I
don't know, that is, if it's a bad representation of Harry's music or if Harry
was having an off day -- but it makes me embarrassed for him every
time I hear it (not often). If it was all the Partch I'd ever heard I sure
wouldn't want to hear any more. But, then, I feel that way about Castor
and Pollux, so what do I know?

Bruce Campbell
campbeb@cesmtp.ccf.org


Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl
with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Fri, 23 Aug 1996 06:45 +0200
Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA27807; Fri, 23 Aug 1996 06:46:19 +0200
Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA27973
Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI)
for id VAA12113; Thu, 22 Aug 1996 21:46:12 -0700
Date: Thu, 22 Aug 1996 21:46:12 -0700
Message-Id: <2.2.32.19960823044428.00674840@adnc.com>
Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu
Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu

Tunesmiths (re: Digest 815),

- Neil - Don't worry, Neil, I never expected everyone to agree. I sometimes
wonder in a case like this: is the argument not compelling, or am I a poor
communicator (since I don't feel that writing is my forte)? Elitism? I
think many of us have different definitions for that word. And as for "I
feel it's safe to say": I am living proof, over the last few weeks, that it
is rarely *safe* to say. Anyone remember Sir Larry Olivier in "Marathon
Man" asking Dustin Hoffman: "Is it safe?".

=====

- Enrique - Great analysis; you managed to whittle down to some of the
essences. I would only make these brief responses...

1) Optimally, yes.
2) Yes, by induction.
3)
a) I don't think I have talked much about recordings. I believe they serve
as documentation, therefore if they document a dilution of Partch (read:
transcription), then they document that dilution; if they document a valid
performance, then they do just that, but are a poor substitute for a live
performance.
b) Yes.
c) Certainly.
d) In league with a).
e) I haven't ruled this out, have I? When I win the next California Lotto,
I will personally fund as many duplicate Ensembles as I can.
4. Key phrase you use: "as the composer intended", which to me is of
paramount importance. A true sense? Probably, with recordings and videos
giving but a taste of the total picture.
5. The $64,000 question... I just *know* that somewhere, someone is
thinking that I am the Dr. Kevorkian of Partchiana. In my youth, I espoused
a truly non-committal view of this. I am pondering alternatives, though
none have cropped up just yet (see Lotto reference).
6. What about the fumes? Partch repair-persons getting high on the job,
having kids with 7 arms (makes playing those wicked Chromelodeon parts
easier...) -- where will it all end? (Is the 'plastics' another reference
to Dustin Hoffman, in "The Graduate"?)

Thanks for making me feel totally inadequate, posting in from CCRMA !

=====

- Bruce - Interesting thoughts on the recordings/transcriptions idea. The
kicker was your last "won't solve the corporeality problem"; that does it
for me. I would like to see the entire body of work represented in
documentary form (i.e. recording, video, etc.) in terms of preservation. It
would certainly allow knowledgable listeners the choice - "Ain't nothing
like the real thing, baby...". (Man, we have *got* to get Sony to
re-release the 2 Columbia albums) Thanks for your thoughts on visiting the
instruments at SDSU. This was the atmosphere that most anyone felt during
their time out here in San Diego . And what synth version of "Yankee"?

=====

Thanks, all. Education, online...
Cheers,
Jon
*--------------------------------------------------------------------*
Jonathan M. Szanto | Come visit Corporeal Meadows . . . . . . . .
Backbeats & Interrupts | . . . . . our little tribute to Harry Partch
jszanto@adnc.com | http://www.adnc.com/web/jszanto/welcome.html
*--------------------------------------------------------------------*